1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to live bait containers and, in particular, to a portable aerated bait container which is adaptable to existing, off-the-shelf coolers for simultaneously maintaining the life of various bait types, such as minnows, shrimp, crayfish, frogs, leeches, nightcrawlers, grubs, and the like.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
As described in my previously issued U.S. Pat. No. 4,615,137, which teaches an energy-efficient aerated bait container, fishermen often carry a variety of live baits to provide a selection of bait appropriate for existing fishing conditions. In that patent, I disclose a thermally insulative housing having several integral compartments and an aeration device integrally positioned therewithin. This invention is highly effective for oxygenating water contained therein, shading the bait from the sun, and maintaining the bait in a cool environment to increase the longevity of a variety of live baits. In sub-zero temperatures, the aeration of the water will prevent freezing as well as increase activity of the bait. The unitary housing insert is uniquely designed and requires special and relatively high cost tooling (molds) to manufacture such an insert.
Most fishermen already own one or several small- to medium-sized insulated chest-type coolers for storing different types of food and beverages on ice. Baits, such as nightcrawlers or leeches, are usually stored in separate dirt or water-filled insulating containers, such as small styrofoam buckets. Food coolers standing alone provide good shading characteristics and maintain a consistent cool environment in hot weather for baits contained in styrofoam vessels, but they lack the aeration capability to sustain the life of minnows and other live bait for an extended period of time.
Therefore, an advantage resides in providing an inexpensive aeration device which is adapted to be installed in a variety of standard, off-the-shelf specified food/beverage coolers to thereby provide an improved bait storage container. Such a device eliminates the need for special tooling required to manufacture custom designed insulating fishing bait containers.
Some examples of previously known portable bait containers can be seen by directing attention to various U.S. Patents. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 2,960,321 issued to Stoots teaches a portable aerator. While not specifically disclosed therein, such a device could be disposed within a previously-owned cooler to aerate water contained therein to sustain the life of baits, such as minnows, an extended period of time. However, such a device, used in combination with an existing cooler, does not provide for a dry compartment to store other baits which ar not to be submerged in water, such as nightcrawlers, frozen smelt, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,462,180 issued to Scott teaches a bait container with an integrally formed chamber for receiving an aerator. However, while this patent teaches a container having both an aeration device and a compartment for holding live bait, such as minnows, the bait container taught therein is relatively complex and built-in. Therefore, tooling costs would be expensive. Further, the bait container is not adapted to be used with a commercially available off-the-shelf, inexpensive unit such as a Rubbermaid.RTM., an Igloo.RTM., or a Colemar.RTM. cooler.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,575 to Kelley et al. teaches a renewable bait and tackle container having an integrally defined drawer for receiving an air pump. Again, the design of this container is relatively complex and requires expensive tooling, which makes the apparatus is relatively expensive to manufacture, thus increasing the final sale price of the container to the fisherman. Further, the apparatus is not designed to be used with inexpensive and currently owned off-the-shelf insulating coolers.